Hewas teaching others to read
Eyaka and Atape, two Hewa believers in Papua New Guinea, are teaching literacy classes to more than 30 men, women and children.
The people are eager to attend the classes so they can learn to read the Bible that missionaries are translating into their language.
One Hewa man, Jesua, admits his selfishness when he first heard God's Word being taught by the missionaries.
"I wasn't interested as my mind was preoccupied with getting wealthy in money and pigs. I hardly ever came to their meetings and when I did, I just scoffed at what they said, thinking that it was not important for my life," Jesua said.
"I continued following the trail of the evil spirits of the jungle as my ancestors had always done. Now I understand how my thinking was very bad and I now want to hear God's story from the Bible. I want to read the Bible for myself so I am working very hard to learn how to read."
A witchdoctor, Taweta, is also showing some desire to hear God's Word. Taweta, however, goes back and forth on his convictions.
"Sometimes he has been saying things that would seem to indicate the Holy Spirit is bringing conviction to his heart," missionary Jonathan Kopf wrote. "But at other times, he has become antagonistic to the group that is attending school. It seems that he realizes that he is losing control over the people he used to be able to command and he fears he will no longer have a place of leadership."
Please pray that the literacy classes will continue to be a success and that Taweta will recognize God's true authority and not be concerned with losing his sense of leadership in the community.
The people are eager to attend the classes so they can learn to read the Bible that missionaries are translating into their language.
One Hewa man, Jesua, admits his selfishness when he first heard God's Word being taught by the missionaries.
"I wasn't interested as my mind was preoccupied with getting wealthy in money and pigs. I hardly ever came to their meetings and when I did, I just scoffed at what they said, thinking that it was not important for my life," Jesua said.
"I continued following the trail of the evil spirits of the jungle as my ancestors had always done. Now I understand how my thinking was very bad and I now want to hear God's story from the Bible. I want to read the Bible for myself so I am working very hard to learn how to read."
A witchdoctor, Taweta, is also showing some desire to hear God's Word. Taweta, however, goes back and forth on his convictions.
"Sometimes he has been saying things that would seem to indicate the Holy Spirit is bringing conviction to his heart," missionary Jonathan Kopf wrote. "But at other times, he has become antagonistic to the group that is attending school. It seems that he realizes that he is losing control over the people he used to be able to command and he fears he will no longer have a place of leadership."
Please pray that the literacy classes will continue to be a success and that Taweta will recognize God's true authority and not be concerned with losing his sense of leadership in the community.